• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.61 no.3
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• pp.240-250
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• 2023

The genus Anisakis is among the most significant parasites to public health, as it causes anisakiasis, a parasitic infection in humans resulting from consuming raw or undercooked seafood. Although the infection status of Anisakis in second intermediate hosts, such as marine fishes and cephalopods, and humans have been severally reported in Korea, no information about the definitive host in Korean waters is available. In 2014, 2 adult gastric nematodes were collected from a common minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) found in the East Sea, Korea. These worms were identified as A. simplex sensu stricto (s.s.) by comparing the mitochondrial COX2 marker with previously deposited sequences. Phylogenetic and phylogeographic analyses of A. simplex (s.s.) worldwide revealed 2 distinct populations: the Pacific population and the European waters population. This is the first report on adult Anisakis and its definitive host species in Korea. Further studies on Anisakis infection in other cetacean species and marine mammals in Korean seas are warranted.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.75-78
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• 2010

The present study investigated characteristics of 24 parasite infection cases detected during colonoscopy in a regional hospital from January 2001 to December 2008. Sixteen patients were confirmed with Trichuris trichiura infection, 6 patients were with Ascaris lumbricoides infection, 1 patient with Enterobius vermicularis infection, and 1 patient with Anisakis infection. Among them, 7 patients (43.8%) were asymptomatic. Colonoscopy findings were normal in 18 patients (75.0%). Among the patients with T. trichiura infection, colonoscopy showed several erosions in 2 patients (8.3%) and non-specific inflammation of the affected segment of the colon in 3 patients (12.5%). In 1 patient with anisakiasis, colonoscopy revealed a markedly swollen colonic wall. Stool examinations were performed before treatment in 7 patients (29.2%) and were all negative for parasite eggs or worms. These results suggest that colonoscopy is a useful diagnostic approach for parasitic infections even for asymptomatic patients and for patients with negative stool examinations.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.433-440
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• 2013

Toxocariasis is a worldwide zoonosis caused by larvae of ascarid nematodes of dogs or cats, Toxocara canis or T. cati. Diagnosis of human toxocariasis currently relies on serology that uses T. canis excretory-secretory antigen to detect specific IgG antibodies by ELISA. We investigated the serodiagnostic efficacy of ELISA using crude antigen of T. canis larvae (TCLA). Serum specimens of 64 clinically confirmed toxocariasis, 115 healthy controls, and 119 other tissue-invading helminthiases were screened by ELISA using TCLA. The ELISA using TCLA showed 92.2% (59/64 patient samples) sensitivity and 86.6% (103/119) specificity. Its positive diagnostic predictivity was 78.7% and negative predictivity was 97.8%. No serum of healthy controls reacted but that of anisakiasis (45.5%), gnathostomiasis (19.2%), clonorchiasis (15.8%), sparganosis (11.1%), and cysticercosis (6.3%) cross-reacted. Immunoblot analysis on TCLA recognized antigenic proteins of 28- and 30-kDa bands in their dominant protein quantity and strong blotting reactivity. The present results indicate that the ELISA using our TCLA antigen is acceptable by the sensitivity and specificity for serodiagnosis of human toxocariasis. ELISA with TCLA is recommended to make differential diagnosis for patients with any sign of organ infiltration and eosinophilia.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.49-55
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• 1990

Zoonoses are those diseases and infections that are naturally transmitted between vertebrate animals and man. At present, approximately 175 diseases caused by virus, rickettsia, bacteria, protozoa and helminthes as well as some of arthropods and the number is continually increasing. Although zoonoses are generally recognized as significant health problems, the actual prevalence and incidence of zoonotic infections is difficult to determine. Medical services in a rural area are scarce and ill persons may have little chance to see a physician. Furthermore, a lack of physician awareness and of appropriate diagnostic support is made often misdiagnosis. In rural Korea, parasitic disease is still important subject in the field of zoonotic infections considering its number and morbidity. Recently there was conspicuous reduction of soil-transmitted parasitic diseases (i.e. ascariasis. hookworms, trichuriasis), but clonorchiasis. intestinal trematodiases and taeniasis are a considerable problem. This is often significantly related to human behavioral patterns based on socio-economic and cultural conditions and linked with the local biologic and physical environment. The most of all parasitic zoonoses to man and animals are the food-transmitted parasitic diseases, and domestic animals such as dog, cat, pig, as well as fat and some mammals, ruminants and birds are act as reservoir hosts. In the present topics, current problems of parasitic zoonoses caused by protozoan infections (i. e. toxoplasmosis, pneumocystosis and cryptosporidiosis) which are the most common opportunistic in AIDS or immunocompromised persons, trematode infections (i.e. clonorchiasis, paragonimiasis and some intestinal tremadodiases). cestode infections such as cysticercosis and sparganosis, and some nematode infections of anisakiasis, thelaziasis and strongyloidiasis, are discussed here those on the occurrence in man and animals and the source of transmission as well as prevention and control measures in Korea.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.70-78
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• 1991

Antibody changes in experimental anisakiasis were observed by ELlSA and SDS-PAGE/EITB using various antigens : whole worm extract antigen(WWE), somatic antigen(SOM), excretory-secretory antign(ES), and hemoglobin antigen(HB) of Anisakis Type 1. The results obtained were as follows. l) Serum levels of IgG antibody by ELISA increased from 1st week of infection and reached their maximum titer at 5th week after infection, and decreased gradually thereafter. 2) The best result expressed as positive/negative ratio could be obtained when ES antigen was used. 3) Silver stained SDS-PAGE of each antigen showed at least 20 protein bands : In WWE, 286, 278, 262, 38, 18 Kd bands ; In SOM, 38 Kd band : In ES, 286, 65, 13 Kd bands ; In Hb, 61, 55, 38, 28, 26, 22, 20, 16, 15 Kd bands iepntibied as were major bands. 4) By EITB using WWE, Serum antibody recognized major protein with molecular weight of 86 Kd and 16 Kd. Using ES, 69, 59, 16 Kd bands were observed and using Hb, 28 Kd band was observed as specific band. In conclusion, excretory-secretory antigen(ES) of Anisakis larvae was most usable for ELISA.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.53 no.3
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• pp.349-353
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• 2015

Anisakis simplex sensu stricto (s.s.), Anisakis pegreffii, Anisakis berlandi (=A. simplex sp. C), and Anisakis typica are the 4 major species of Anisakis type I larvae. In the Republic of Korea (Korea), A. pegreffii, A. berlandi, and A. typica larvae in fish hosts has seldom been documented. In this study, molecular analysis was performed on Anisakis larvae from the sea eels (Astroconger myriaster), the major source of human anisakiasis in Korea, collected from Tongyeong City, a southern coastal area of Korea. All 20 sea eels examined were infected with Anisakis type I larvae (160 larvae; 8 per fish). Their species were analyzed using PCR-RFLP patterns and nucleotide sequences of internal transcribed spacers (ITS1, 5.8 subunit gene, and ITS2) and mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase 2 (cox2). Most (86.8%; 112/129) of the Anisakis type I larvae were A. pegreffii, and 7.8% (10/129) were A. typica. The remaining 5.4% (7/129) was not identified. Thus, A. pegreffii is the major species of anisakid larvae in sea eels of the southern coast of Korea.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.59 no.3
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• pp.189-225
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• 2021

The use of albendazole and mebendazole, i.e., benzimidazole broad-spectrum anthelmintics, in treatment of parasitic infections, as well as cancers, is briefly reviewed. These drugs are known to block the microtubule systems of parasites and mammalian cells leading to inhibition of glucose uptake and transport and finally cell death. Eventually they exhibit ovicidal, larvicidal, and vermicidal effects on parasites, and tumoricidal effects on hosts. Albendazole and mebendazole are most frequently prescribed for treatment of intestinal nematode infections (ascariasis, hookworm infections, trichuriasis, strongyloidiasis, and enterobiasis) and can also be used for intestinal tapeworm infections (taeniases and hymenolepiasis). However, these drugs also exhibit considerable therapeutic effects against tissue nematode/cestode infections (visceral, ocular, neural, and cutaneous larva migrans, anisakiasis, trichinosis, hepatic and intestinal capillariasis, angiostrongyliasis, gnathostomiasis, gongylonemiasis, thelaziasis, dracunculiasis, cerebral and subcutaneous cysticercosis, and echinococcosis). Albendazole is also used for treatment of filarial infections (lymphatic filariasis, onchocerciasis, loiasis, mansonellosis, and dirofilariasis) alone or in combination with other drugs, such as ivermectin or diethylcarbamazine. Albendazole was tried even for treatment of trematode (fascioliasis, clonorchiasis, opisthorchiasis, and intestinal fluke infections) and protozoan infections (giardiasis, vaginal trichomoniasis, cryptosporidiosis, and microsporidiosis). These drugs are generally safe with few side effects; however, when they are used for prolonged time (>14-28 days) or even only 1 time, liver toxicity and other side reactions may occur. In hookworms, Trichuris trichiura, possibly Ascaris lumbricoides, Wuchereria bancrofti, and Giardia sp., there are emerging issues of drug resistance. It is of particular note that albendazole and mebendazole have been repositioned as promising anti-cancer drugs. These drugs have been shown to be active in vitro and in vivo (animals) against liver, lung, ovary, prostate, colorectal, breast, head and neck cancers, and melanoma. Two clinical reports for albendazole and 2 case reports for mebendazole have revealed promising effects of these drugs in human patients having variable types of cancers. However, because of the toxicity of albendazole, for example, neutropenia due to myelosuppression, if high doses are used for a prolonged time, mebendazole is currently more popularly used than albendazole in anti-cancer clinical trials.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.157-162
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• 1992

Although the sea eel (Astroconger myriaster) is suspected as one of the most important fish host for human anisakiasis in Korea, no report has been made on the infection status of the sea eel with anisakid larvae. In the present study, 26 sea eels (Astroconger myriaster) were purchased from the Noryangjin 6sh market in Seoul, and anisakid larvae were collected from their viscera, muscle, head and skin. The collected larvae were classified by their morphological types. A total of 1,351 anisakid larvae were collected from 15 of 26 fish examined. Among them, 1,269 were recovered from the viscera, 66 from the muscle, and 16 from the head and skin. Morphologically, most of the anisakids were classified into 6 known larval types, Anisakis type I (564 larvae) of Berland(1961) , Contracaecum type A(409) and type D(5) of Koyama et at. (1969), Contracaecum type C'(83) and type D'(117) of Chai et at. (1986), and Contracaecum type V(1) of Yamaguti (1935). Remaining 172 specimens were new in the available literature, hence, designated as Centracaecum type A'(new type). The present results revealed that the sea eels caught in the Korean waters are heavily infected with anisakid larvae, not only in their viscera but also in the muscle, and Anisakis type I was the most common among the 7 larval types.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.93-100
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• 1994

In order to know the species and frequency of human parasitic infection diagnosed by biopsy, 149 cases (0.18%) of parasitic infection were reviewed, which were selected from 80,947 biopsied materials submitted for routine histopathological examination during a period of 10 years from 1980 to 1989 at Department of Pathology, Chonnam National University Hospital. They consisted of 112 cases of cysticercosis, 17 paragonimiasis, 7 clonorchiasis, 4 amebiasis, 1 sparganosis, 1 enterobiasis, 1 anisakiasis, and 1 fascioliasis respectively Based on morphological preservation of cysticercus, they could be divided into mild (20.2%), moderate (40.4%), and severe (39.4%) degeneration. Except 2 cases biopsied at the lungs, 15 cases of ectopic paragonimiasis were located at abdominal cavity (8 cases) and central nervous system (7 cases). One case of intrahepatic fascioliasis was observed. This is the 13th human fasciollasis reported in Korea. From the above results, the frequency of parasitic infections found in biopsied specimens was on the decrease as the year passed by, but biopsy is very useful diagnostic method on tissue parasites such as cystlcercosis and ectopic paragonimiasis.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.105-112
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• 1981

The morphological and structural studios of Anisakinae larva has been carried out since Sept. of 1980. The larva were collected from naturally infested eleven swine of 1,531 examined at Kwang-Ju abattoir and from marine fishes, Somber japonicus, bought at Kwang-Ju fish market. The results observed were as follow : 1. Anisakis larva found in the stomach wall and on the surface of the mucosa were more or less degenerated. According to the progress of degeneration, the cross sections showed varied structures (Fig. 6, 7). 2. Size of the larva both from swine and fishes were measured respectively in average(mm); 18.0 and 18.7 in body length, 0.30 and 0.41 in body width, 1.64 and 1.68 in esophagus(muscular-part), 0.56 and 0.67 in ventriculus (glandular part), and 0.13 and 0.12 in tail. It was notable that body length of the larva in this present data, 18.0mm and 1.87mm, were shorter than those in previous dada, 24.3mm from human cases and 28.4mm from, however, the present data were almost similar to the data, 1.75mm, from swine case. 3. The Boring tooth, Mucron, long ventriculus and short round tail were observed in the larva of this present study. These structures were differentiated from Anisakis type II larvae which was provided with short ventriculus, and conical and tapering tall without mucron. 4. The ventricular appendix and intestnal caecum were not present in the larva. These might be differentiated from other Anisakidae larva such as Terranova larvae, Contracaecum larvae, Raphidascaris larvae and Thynnascaris larvae. 5. The findings through the histological observation were a pair of Y-shaped or butterfly-shaped lateal chords, ventral and dorsal chords, excretory(Renette) cell, high columnar epithelial cells of digestive tract and muscle cells. These morphological characteristics revealed varied features in the structures in the degenerative degree of the larva in the stomach wall. 6. The above-mentioned characteristics of the larva observed could be indentified as Anisakis type I larvae. 7. The reports on natural infestation of domestic animal with Anisakis type I larvae were two swine cases in Korea and Japan respectively, On the other hand two human cases of the larva were reported in Korea and more than one thousand cases in Japan. In Twiwan no reports of human and domestic animal cases could be found.